Dead Man Mowing!!!!!!

This man had MAJOR open heart surgery on Feb. 26, 2008, a cardiac arrest (stopped breathing) the night of surgery, another cardiac arrest (12 minutes with insufficient oxygen) on Mar. 5th and was in a coma for 27 hours, a GI bleed that required surgery right in the hospital bed, and 7 units of blood to stop, phenumonia, and another cardiac arrest on April 1st!!! He was in Cardio Vascular Intensive Care three times, Intermediate Care twice and up on the 5th floor, where patients are prepared to go home, twice. He was in rehab twice. He has gone through physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology and is now working on speech therapy, and cardiac rehab.....and here he is..............102 days after the surgery...............mowing the lawn!!!! Is that not the coolest thing you have seen in a long time????
Who says there is no such thing as miracles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(you're lookin' at one)

After he got done with the front lawn, we went to speech therapy, then on to cardiac rehab where he walked for 6 minutes without a walker ..or oxygen!!!!, then on to lunch, and to another interview with another cardiac rehab unit where he walked to and from with no oxygen and no walker, then home!!!!! That was our day yesterday. ( He even made it through a nasty, nasty sandwich and a horrible diet strawberry limeade at Sonic in Orem)

Norm is really doing well. As you can see he is making huge leaps toward recovery. He still gets tired, which is totally to be expected, he still has a little bit of memory issues, but it is almost totally in his short term memory...when you tell him something, a couple of seconds later, he will ask you again....but that is only once in a while. He remembers where every single thing is in his shop, he knows how to do the checkbook, do laundry, load the dishwasher and unfortunately, he knows how much money he had in his wallet when he gave it to me before surgery!!!!! I'm still payin' for that one!!!

The day before yesterday, (5th) a good neighbor and friend, who has been over many times before and helped, came over to roto-till part of our yard where I have planted flowers before, and hope to again. If time and weather permit!!! (and money)

Again, Norm supervised. That is about the only times he uses his nifty-neato walker now, is just a place to sit. He can't stand a whole lot, but that's o.k.

Our neighbor just loves my little four legged best friend...so, after he got the ground all smoothed out, he couldn't resisit the opportunity to have Clancy "get the critter"!!!!

Can I get some more???? Let me get 'em!!!!

Clancy is good for a ton of laughs and a heck of a lot of company!!! Christy hates him but I don't care. He annoys the heck out of my grand kids, but tough noonies!!!!! He's my buddy!!!!

All is well. Everyday brings a new adventure and it is wonderful to be moving forward. Norms heart is still in sinus rhythm. So, today should make it almost three weeks. That is something we haven't seen in years. It's possible that the maze procedure could now be healed enough to take care of the irregular heartbeat, it could be that the amioderone he is taking is helping and that the pacemaker has finally been able to take over. It is a "paced" rhythm, but at least it is the right one. No matter what is the answer, the overriding one is that there have been a ton of people praying for him and that is what has brought it all together. I believe that. Thank you all!!!

I wish I could begin to thank all those who have done so much. I wouldn't be able to list it all, or mention everyone, the list is so huge. It is overwhelming to think about, for me anyway, that so many would be willing to give of their time, and love, to do so many things for us. Both Norm and I spend a lot of time trying to think of how we will ever begin to repay them. If they only knew how much it means to us.

Live your life so that the fear of death can never enter your heart. When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light. Give thanks for your life and strength.Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. And if perchance you see no reason for giving thanks, rest assured the fault is in yourself.
~~~Chief Tecumseh, Shawnee Indian Chief